WOODLAND HEATHLAND WETLAND MEADOWS

STAFFORD BOROUGH COUNCIL Civic Centre, Riverside, ST16 3AQ

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www.staffordbc.gov.uk pg 02 Astonfields Biodiversity Local NatureReserves Other Sites Stone Meadows Kingsmead Rough CloseCommon and Kingston Pool Covert Ferndown Local Widlife Sites Local Widlife Introduction CONTENTS ReservesNature Local UNDER-L NEWCASTLE

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pg 03 pg 05 pg 04

Local Nature Reserves

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LONGTON RD A520 STAFFORD RD A520 Astonfields Balancing Lakes, Stafford Barlaston and Rough Close Common Kingston Pool Covert [South], Stafford Crown Meadow, Stone Approx. 4.2 hectares Approx. 21 hectares Approx. 4.5 hectares Approx. 3 hectares Main Habitats: Open water, Main Habitats: Lowland heathland and Main Habitat: Wet woodland Main Habitat: Lowland wet grassland Phragmites reedbed and saltmarsh lowland acidic grassland Owned and managed by Stone Town Council

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< LAMMASCOTE RD < RIVER TRENT > 4 > Ferndown, Clayton, Newcastle Kingsmead Marsh, Stafford Stone Meadows [Goodall Meadow] Stone Meadows [Southern Meadow] Approx. 5.5 hectares A34 Approx. 6 hectares Approx. 8.4 hectares Approx. 5.5 hectares Grassland and scrub woodland Main Habitats: Lowland wet grassland Main Habitat: Lowland wet grassland, and diverse hedgerows diverse hedgerows and wet woodland pg 07 pg 06

Biodiversity

Biodiversity means the variety of living things. It indicates not just the vast array of life but also its inter-connectedness. The Eco-schools programme is a vibrant Protection of biodiversity is important for many network of schools reasons. Firstly there is a moral argument of that undertake a range preserving that which exists for its own right. of green initiatives. Secondly because it provides us with services - that Farmers and land is fresh air, clean water, insects that pollinate our managers can be food crops, medicines and many other things. advised on conservation We know that we are losing our biodiversity with many management including species of animals and plants decreasing in the UK Stewardship Schemes. and across the world. We are becoming accustomed Many businesses now to a landscape that is denuded of its wildlife. This have environmental means we no longer remember how rich our natural management systems heritage should be. That is why our surviving nature in place or provide reserves are so important, because they help show volunteers for us what the natural environment should look like and conservation. reveal what we have lost. Even in our gardens All sectors of the community have a part to play we can all make a in helping biodiversity. There are volunteering difference for example, opportunities on many of the nature reserves in the by installing a nest box, Borough, including those owned by creating a pond or Wildlife Trust. There are many wildlife organisations adding wildflowers to join like the RSPB, Plantlife or the Wildlife Trust. to our lawns. pgpg 08 06# reedbed. If you arelucky you mayseeaKingfisher. Mallard. Inwinter, Teal canbefoundhereandin the The open water is home to Moorhen, Coot and Lake The be seenand heard. and summermonths.Theshy Water Railcanalso Warbler. Thewarblerscanbeseenduringthespring include Reed Bunting, Reed Warbler, and Sedge and provides a home for a number of birds. These The reedbedmainlyconsistsofCommonReed Reedbed The in 1990thesouthernbalancinglakewasadded. 1970s to protect parts of Stafford from floodingand northern balancinglakewasconstructedinthelate are located was originallywetmeadowland.The place. Theareaoflandwherethebalancinglakes species thatmakesAstonfieldssuchaspecial of wildflowers.Itisthecombinationhabitatsand place towatchbirdsandalsohasagoodvariety small areasofwoodland.Thereserveisagreat discover, includingreedbed,openwater, scruband Astonfields hasawonderfulvarietyofhabitatsto Astonfields to joinin. are opentoanyone and nature walks that volunteer work parties Every year they hold organise litter picks. population and helping surveying the bird with conservationwork, have beeninvolved group of local residents For many years, a Astonfields of Friends

pg 09 pg 10 pg 11

Barlaston and Rough Close Common

The largest of our LNRs and the best surviving remnant of the original Meir Heath. The heathland has been present for at least 300 years, created by generations of commoners who grazed their animals and gathered wood for fuel. The management aim is to preserve the open nature of the site and this requires replicating past activities by grazing and scrub control. The Top Common From the top of the common are fabulous views of the countryside and the Wrekin. Large swathes of Bilberry and Heather cover the reserve, the typical vegetation of heathland. There is also an old Wildlife sandstone quarry where rare insects can be found Many birds have been using the sandy soil to make their homes. seen on site including The Lower Common Bullfinch, Green Woodpecker and the This larger part of the reserve is quite different in uncommon Willow Tit. character, with a low-lying habitat of wet heath and In the summer, Willow acid grassland. Vegetation includes Cross-Leaved Warbler and Chiff-Chaff Heath, Cowberry and Purple Moor-Grass. Areas of can be heard singing in oak woodland have developed on the perimeter. the trees. Common Grazing Lizards are present though difficult to see. As part of the conservation management of the lower common, grazing was introduced in 2008 to control Many butterflies and vegetation in a traditional, natural way. The grazing moths have been encourages the regrowth of heathland plants whilst recorded here including helping to control unwanted scrub growth. The Red the Green Hairstreak Poll cattle are a rare breed and ideally suited to butterfly. Noctule and grazing the rough vegetation of the heath. They are Pipistrelle bats have on site from April to October. also been seen here. pg 12 pg 13

Ferndown Ferndown is our newest LNR and was declared in 2008. Within the old field boundaries a set of habitats have developed including meadow, scrub and small areas of woodland, providing a great variety of plants and wildlife.

The Meadows The main aim of site management is to maintain a series of flower rich meadows. Part of this work is to develop a strip of cornfield annuals. These plants are now increasingly rare and so it was decided to The Friends provide a home for them here. During the summer of Ferndown you may see Cornflower, Corn cockle and Corn The Friends have Marigold plus many more. At least 120 species of contributed to the plants have been recorded here. Wild flowers to running of the reserve look out for include Common Knapweed, Yellow in many ways. They Rattle and Broad-leaved Helleborine. have made funding Bird Life applications, aided conservation work Over 40 species of birds have been identified and supported the visiting Ferndown. Birds seen in winter include numerous events Siskin, Bullfinch and Great Spotted Woodpecker. In that have been held. spring many migrant birds can be heard calling, such as Blackcap, Chiffchaff and Whitethroat. Watch For information please out also for Buzzard, Kestrel and Sparrowhawk. A visit ferndownnature. bird feeding station is maintained all year round. wordpress.com pg 14 pg 15

Kingsmead Kingsmead has a fascinating history stretching back at least 800 years. This low-lying area was once a medieval fishing pond that supplied the old Kings of . By 1600 the land had been drained and converted to meadows, known as the King’s Meads. The name has been preserved ever since.

The Marsh The majority of the site is marshland, which contains reed-grasses and sedges. There are a number of ditches running through the site, and scrub and scattered trees are common, particularly around the site’s perimeter. The marsh supports a variety of flora and fauna, including locally rare plants such as Purple Loosestrife and Brown Sedge. Management on site includes controlling willow growth. The LNR is managed as a wildlife haven at the centre of Stafford and is more extensive than many of the remaining marshes in the county. Although the central area has no public access, the top half of the marsh can be viewed from the path along the Pearl Brook. pg 16 the main path ontheedge of the reserve. Due tothewooded natureofthesiteplease keepto Access stretch of woodland habitatinStafford. Weston Road. Together theycreateanimportant privately ownedwoodland locatedacrossthe The reservemirrorsKingston Pool Covert(North), a replanting schemewill be undertaken. more secureandthisworkremainsongoing.A works werenecessaryinordertomakethesite tles andinsects. In 2010/11alarge amount of tree This providestheperfecthabitatforarangeofbee- great deal of fallendeadwoodwithin the woodland. trees andthegrowthhabitofcrackwillowthereisa elm, hazel and elder. Due to the age of the mature numbers ofotherwoodyspeciesincludingwych of youngsycamoreandashtogetherwithsmaller the wood.Theunderstoreycontainsalargenumber Mature crack willow, alder and sycamore dominate long ago to providewillow for fencingmaterials. The woodlandofKingstonPool Covertwasplanted Kingston Pool CovertPool Kingston also been spotted. and Tawny Owl have Sparrowhawk, Buzzard finches. variety of tits and Treecreeper anda woodpecker, Nuthatch, species ofnative three all including seen inthe woodland Many birdshavebeen Birdlife

pg 17 pg 18 and bridgemake thesiteeasily accessible. extra habitatfor manywetlandplants.New paths cutting, tomaintainthem.Two newscrapesadd flowers andismanagedina traditionalwaybyhay close to the Star Inn. Themeadow has many wild - Crown Meadow is situated at the heart of Stone, MeadowCrown native BlackPoplar tree can be found on site. northern cows grazethesitetocontrolvegetation.Therare the along runs woodland providesthewesternboundary. Aherdof Trent River and easternedgeofthesite,whilstanareawet The Stone. of water The SouthernMeadowislocatedinthesouthernend old the MeadowSouthern for Evidence winter. channels canstillbeseen here. in grazed flooded are fields had theirwaterlevelscarefullycontrolled,being the large These in agreement. Historically, thesemeadowswouldhave A34. situated the by sheepaspartofacountrysidestewardship on are Inn Meadows northwestern corner of Stone,close to the Walton Goodall The MeadowsGoodall Stone Meadows Stone rich meadows. more traditional flower biodiversity tocreate aim ofincreasingtheir managed with the All three sites are hundreds ofyears. unchanged for has remainedlargely land whoselandscape meadow and grazing floodplain, anareaof in theRiverTrent All three sites occur age also ownandman- Stone Town Council Meadow. and Goodall Meadows two separatesites- Reserve comprises This Local Nature Crown Meadow. Southern

pg 19 pg 20 pg 21

Local Wildlife Sites In Stafford Borough there are many sites designated for their wildlife value known as Sites of Biological Importance (SBIs). Nationally these areas are generally referred to as Local Wildlife Sites. These areas have good quality habitat and a range of species of county importance. Most of the Council’s SBIs are already designated as Local Nature Reserves however there are two sites that are managed differently for their biodiversity. Both these sites are in a Higher Level Stewardship agreement that pays for annual vegetation control. The Council worked in partnership with the Wildlife Trust and Natural England to achieve this.

Hough Drain Situated in Stafford, near Radford and Baswich is a remnant flood plain meadow. The field still has a good range of wildflowers such as Great Burnet, Valerian and Cuckooflower.

Tittensor This attractive area is managed for its marsh and includes uncommon plants like Wood Club-Rush, Tussock Sedge and Water Figwort. The habitat attracts many butterflies and dragonflies. pg 22 pg 23

Other Sites

Staffordshire Wildlife Trust www.staffs-wildlife.org.uk • Marshes • Loynton Moss • Radford Meadows • Allimore Green • Pasturefields • Jackson’s Coppice and Marsh

National Trust www.nationaltrust.org.uk • Downs Banks

Natural England www.naturalengland.org.uk • Mottey Meadows • Aqualate Mere • Chartley Moss All are worth visiting and have great wildlife interest, check with Natural England for access to their sites as it is limited to certain days and formal events. For further information on Local Nature Reserves in Stafford Borough, please contact: Bill Waller Biodiversity Officer

tel 01785 619 676 email [email protected]

Streetscene Stafford Borough Council’s Streetscene is working for you to create a safe, healthy, clean and green borough. Any problems with litter or fly-tipping can be reported.

tel 01785 619 000 email [email protected]